Before Sunday night's game between the San Francisco 49ers and the surging Atlanta Falcons, it would have been understandable to worry that the Niner offense could not keep up. After all, the Falcons had dominated the Buffalo Bills the week before, with star running back Bijan Robinson producing over 200 yards of combined yardage and star receiver Drake London catching 10 balls for over a buck fifty.
Before the game last night, there was a comparison of Robinson to 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey. Still, it felt almost polite, since Robinson was second in the league in yards per carry. McCaffrey was not even in the top 10, averaging a pitiful (for him and anyone in a Kyle Shanahan offense) 3.5 yards per attempt. CMC and Robinson trained together in the offseason, so the subtext seemed to be that the torch had been passed from the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year to the new superstar.
When the game started, though, it was clear McCaffrey had other ideas. His first run went for 7 yards, and by the end of the half, he had nearly 75 and scored a touchdown with a burst through the middle that reminded one of the potent 49er ground games of the past. The 49ers did not score a rushing touchdown all season until game five, but last night produced two.
What happened?
The offensive line had not been overhauled. (Starting center Jake Brendal went down with a hamstring injury, and his replacement, Matt Hennessy, is a journeyman.) Quarterback Mac Jones did not suddenly transform into Lamar Jackson and force the defense to account for potential outside quarterback sweeps.
But tight end George Kittle returned. Kittle had been out since the middle of game one, and the assumption was that he would provide a huge boost to the passing game. After all, he had been destroying the Seahawks' defense when he went down. But last night, Kittle did not have a catch. In fact, he was targeted only twice. But many seemed to forget that what Kittle was known for in college—and indeed what marked him as exceptional when his career in the NFL started—was his blocking. People forgot (or perhaps did not know) the rushing statistics for when George is on the field and when he is not.
Before Kittle came back, McCaffrey, though an exceptional running back, had been stuffed repeatedly. With Kittle, he gained over a yard and a half more per carry, from that horrid 3.5 to a full 5. The 49ers pushed around the Atlanta D, and on replay after replay, the commentators pointed out how Kittle had taken a player out of the action. I remembered how early in the tight end's career, head coach Kyle Shanahan said in tight games, Kittle would look to the sideline and yell, "Run the damn ball!"
This, from a pass catcher.
But run the damn ball the 49ers did on Sunday night, and on almost a ridiculous 70% of the plays. Mac Jones did not have to deliver any heroics. Bijan Robinson had fewer chances to even touch the ball. And when the game was on the line, with a little over 8 minutes to go and the Niners clinging to a 3-point lead, they took over at their own 35-yard line.
That's when I said, "We need a Shanadrive." A Shanadrive (learn and use the term, work it into conversation) is a clock-eating march that ends in a touchdown. At the 8:16 mark, San Francisco needed to use up at least 5 minutes and score 7 to give the team a nearly insurmountable two-possession lead. The 49ers have done this innumerable times during Shanahan's tenure, but none really this year.
That changed on Sunday. On the 11-play clock killer, the 49ers ran the ball 9 times and used almost 6 minutes. It was a thing of beauty, especially as starved for it as they have been, with McCaffrey demonstrating why he is still one of the best in the game and, perhaps more importantly, showing how George Kittle can raise the performance of all of the linemen (even crossing guard right tackle Colton McKivitz).
George is back. Christian is back. With this level of offense, there is much hope for the season to be had, especially if defensive coordinator Robert Saleh can keep his young unit producing at this level.
And let's see Shanadrive after Shanadrive for months to come.